Between 1964-1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson was frequently seen riding in a 1964 Lincoln Continental Presidential Parade Vehicle. This powerful looking car with its shiny black paint and unique 'glass house' roof began its life as a much different automobile. The Johnson car had been created by completely rebuilding the 'X-100' - a specially modified 1961 Lincoln Continental 4-door convertible that had been originally designed for President John F. Kennedy, Johnson's predecessor. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22nd, 1963, while riding the X-100 through the streets of Dallas. Johnson, then vice president, was also in the motorcade that day, but was in another vehicle and was not injured.

The X-100 had been considered to be the most modern open parade vehicle of its day. However, like all other American presidential parade vehicles before it, the X-100 had no weapons, no armor plating, and no bullet-proof glass. Its primary purpose was to make the president more visible and keep him dry in bad weather - not to provide protection from an assassin's bullets.

Immediately following the assassination, a special task force decided that the most practical way to prevent a similar event from re-occuring was to re-build the X-100 from the ground up. The car was sent to Cincinnati, Ohio to the Hess & Eisenhardt Company, the custom automobile builders who with The Ford Motor Company had created the X-100 in the first place. Work began in December 1963 and was completed in just under six months, earning the car it's new nickname, the 'Quick Fix'. The complete re-design of the X-100 cost more than $500,000 and was returned to the White House in May 1964.

But the story did not end there. Initially, President Johnson refused to ride in the car unless it was re-painted. A major newspaper had run a story under the headline, 'Johnson to Ride in Kennedy Death Car' and LBJ did not want that kind of attention following him every time he went for a ride. 'Midnight blue' was a color associated with JFK. Johnson wanted his presidential limousine painted black. The car was re-painted and the "Quick Fix' re-joined the White House fleet. The car was used by President's Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter before being officially retired in 1977.

Now Minichamps has built its own 1:43 scale rendition of President Lyndon Baines Johnson's X-100 limousine, complete right down to the pennants draping the front fenders. Comes packaged in a handsome acrylic display case. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 6 inches
Width: 1-1/2 inches

Historical Note: The real X-100 limousine can be viewed at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan.